Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-07-31

10 kiln W Nv IN'N''f
THINGS not exactly pertinent to our organ
iz,tior which We ought to know, and to
let you hear one Of these things is how 1t
came about that Henry George was brought
here. ICheers. His reputation rs a
thinker and writer has preceded him.
lie has come from headquarters. We
have means of our own to find out
we want to know about the labor ques-
ton, hut he will tell us about the land ques-
ton. l have the honor to present to you
Henry George, OF New York. Cheers.
THE LAND SPEECH.
Mr.. George arose amid cheers, and es-
saved to commence his remarks, but
lust at this iuncture the long-deSired band
came up. aud its brayiug drowned his
voice. When the band had played itself
ont. the distinguished stranger said:
FELLOW CIrIZENs:-Our chairman has
told Won that | will talk to you this after
noon upon the land question. That Is
true: but in speaking on the land queS-
ton must also discuss the
labor question, which is simply
another name for the land
uuestion. They are used in common, for
il is only through the land question that
we can reach the true solution OF the labor
question. What is
THE LABOR QUESTION?
At the bottom it is simply this: That there
il a difficulty in finding employment; that
men who are ready and aNiOus to labor
often lind trouble in gettinga an opportunity
10 do so. That is the bottom fact, from
which all disputes and troubles, all low
ering of wages; all tending to grind down
working men to a bare living IN the yarl-
Gus trades; the great competition in all
branches 0t prOduction-have their origin.
We OF the United Labor part OF New York,
and all through the country, where We are
spreading our principles, propose as a prac-
tical remedy for the solution 0t the labor
uuestion, the abolition Of all taxes ON
thingSo of human production and the placing
of them on land values alone and TO the
entire value of the land. This,
YOU may say, seems like a
very simple thing a very simple remedy
to him who has never before given the
subject u thought. 4 mere charge Of tax
alton. he would say, cannot accomplish
such great results. But if you will look
at il YOU will see its advantages. Our
present system OF National, State and mu-
niclpal taxation, as our expenses Increase
and multiply, tends to bear upon Us with
increasing weight. 1t bears with heaviest
might upon the consumer and the poor
man is in a greater degree Il consumer than
the rich man; that Is, he
SPENDS MORE OF HIS INCOME
than the rich man. In the next place, our
taxes are so difficult of collection that it
becomes Il matter OF ease Tor the rich man
10 escape even the most direct leyy-that
laid ON men in proportion TO their wealth.
All over the United States the very rich
man escapes taxation, while the poor man
paws. Take the matter OF furniture; the
rich man pays in much less proportion han
the pOOr man. II is 80 difficult to collect
a personal tax, that in New York, Wander
hilt, one OF the richest meu in the Omtcd
States. pays taxes on 81, uOO, 900, as a mere
matter OF lurm-iust to keep the people
uuicL-while many rich men pay nothing
nj all. In Chicago the man with Il small
property pays very near ITS value, while
many rich men pay taxes ON but 5000 or
$500. Aud IT is so all over the United
States.
Auaiu. all taxes on wealth in any Of its
forms tends To repress the production OF
wealth. We all know that that IL ITS
history, all over the United States. Take
as an example the dog tax. II IL levied
for the purpose OF decreasing the number
OF dogs. That is its natural and legitl-
mate result; a tax on houses, on horses
ON dry Goods, on cigars, and ON every
other species OF property tends to produce
the same effect. The matter lsslmple when
we come to think of it. \ tax on wealth
must also tend to produce this result.
Applause. And yet we All want more
wealth, II we do, why tax its production,
Maniiestly
IT Is VERY STUPID.
On the other hand, while taxation tends
10 lessen everything else, you can tax land
all you please, and there won't be one
inch the less. Here is the enormous
advantage Of the system right on the
surface. The land is always in
sight. II can't be carried OF nor dis
guised. The merchant can hide his goods,
and tine rich man his personal ellcctS-in
the whole history of the world no fair
personal property tax has ever been made
but laud can Ice taxed with 81 certainty
impossible with anything else. We could
collect our revenue with far more
ease and certainty in that way, and do
away completely with fraud, corruption
and perjury. Applause.
All these things are good, but | have
not vet given the main reason. That Is
this. We believe it will abolish poverty.
Applause. 1t will give every man who
wants work an opportunity to GO II. 1t
will do away with Cut-thrOat competition
which brings upon us every once in Il
while hard times, while the land is filled
with plenty and our warehouses are
plutted with goods. Why do we
believe this? | said the labor
question is only another form OF the land
question. What is abOr-productive Ia
Dor? That grand stand has been produced
by labor; 50 has this carriage, the horse, in
q sense, the harness, this whip and this
glass. All have been produced by labor
work. We sometimes say labor Is the
creator of all wealth; but only metaphor
icaIly. Labor in reality creates nothing.
Ii the whole human race would labor
until eternity, 1t could not create the TIM
rSt atom which floats in the sunbeam.
Labor only works up the raw material.
Man only brings forth from nature. lie
produces coal from the hills, where nature
put it, the storcd-up sunlight OF past cen
turtles. He builds a house by taking the
timber of nature aud changing its form
into boards and hrims. He weaveS cloth
bv taking vegetable or animal fibres and
working them up, and so on with
all other forms of wealth. Labor
can only producc-it cannot create
10 do this it must have first standing
room, and then raw material. Labor is
only
ONE OF THE FACTORS
of production; it requires something else
land. Land and labor are essential.
From these all else proceeds. At first
there was on earth but one naked man,
aud from his wants and work proceeded
all else. But labor is useless unless it has
access 10 land. Man is a land animal.
Ills very body is derived from the earth,
~ much 20 rs are the trees or the grass.
This is the explanation OF the paradox that
the lubOriug class is the poor class. If 1t Is
4 4 IL.